A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to escape from this never-ending winter and go to the Bahamas to hang out on the beach and do literally nothing else. Ugh, it was wonderful. Except that, as always, I screwed up packing. I usually travel with just a carry-on, (mostly because I have so many cute ones) but this time I checked a bag! Like a real adult! If only I had bothered to put all of my necessities in the bag. When will I learn? Don’t pack drunk.

At least I did manage to bring a few beauty essentials to help keep me presentable throughout my trip.

I used to have a travel sized tube that I liked so much that I used it all up, and bought a full-size version. It’s a very thick cream made with rice starches that gently exfoliate and polish your face, lemon oil to brighten and aloe to help prevent irritation. It feels as gentle as it sounds. I usually like my exfoliators to be on the rougher side, but the formula is so thick that it almost feels like a paste. It really clings to your face instead of running down into your eyes as you’re scrubbing.

I’m super-sensitive about oil building up on my skin during hot weather, so going from frigid winter temperatures to the summery mid-eighties made me extra aware of my skin texture. Who wants to break out on vacation? I’ve never been anything but satisfied with Origins products and can’t recommend them enough. This exfoliator is no different. My skin survived the hot, humid weather without taking home any blemishes as a souvenir.

2. A dry shampoo to protect the pastel.

Now for my hair. I started the trip with fresh lilac hair, but with great color comes great responsibility.

I already hold off on washing my hair (for as long as possible, ew) because it can be a long wait to get in to see my stylist for a touch-up. If I'm going to have pastel hair, I'm not going to have faded pastel hair, feel me? And with the damage that the salty ocean water would surely do to my color, I knew I had to avoid putting my head under the shower at all costs. Enter: my favorite dry shampoo. Tresemm Fresh Start Color Care Dry Shampoo, $5.99.

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Alison wrote about everyone’s favorite dry shampoos (and I agree with her pick. Klorane is awesome.) But listen up, drugstore gang! This dry shampoo works as well as the higher end options, for a fraction of the cost. Plus, they have five varieties so you can pick the one that’s perfect for your hair.

Tresemmé Fresh Start Color Care Dry Shampoo helps absorb oils without weighing my hair down. I just separate my hair into a couple of pieces, hit the roots to soak up excess oils, work my fingers through to spread throughout, and boom, I’m ready for another day with clean (looking) hair and fresh color.

Tresemmé Fresh Start certainly helped me prolong my hair color, and it’s cheap enough that you can run out to a drugstore and grab a bottle if you’re really in a pinch, and not worry about losing it when packing your things to go home!

Sunscreen, like doing your taxes, is boring but necessary (j/k as if I do my own taxes). I usually hate the way sunscreens feel, but I knew that I couldn’t go without. The first day or two in the sun, I used my typical SPF 50 to build a base and protect my pasty skin from frying, but after I got a bit of color, I began using Kate Somerville Body Glow Sunscreen.

It feels more like a moisturizer than a sunscreen, which is the biggest benefit. It’s also as luxe as you’d expect a moisturizer from Kate Somerville to be. While protecting your skin from UVA and UVB rays, shea butter and mango help replenish moisture that you lose from spending all day in the sun. It’s even formulated with caffeine to help tone, and it adds just the slightest bit of shimmer. Everyone looks better in the sun with a bit of glow on your skin.

What are your essentials, for vacation, every day, or otherwise? Tell me in the comments!